If you have sensitive or dry skin and you suffer from acne you will need to take care to, not only treat your acne, but to take care of your skin. Nearly all acne treatments will be very drying to the skin as they are intended to check the production of too much oil and if you have dry skin this will just make things worse. Your skin will probably become flaky, irritated and red. If you have very sensitive skin the chemicals in many of the acne remedies will result in irritation and redness so you need to be especially careful which treatments you use.

Why Our Skin Becomes Dry and Sensitive

As we age our skin has a tendency to become drier as the cells begin to secrete a lesser amount of sebum. Collagen and elastin in the skin become damaged and are less efficiently repaired, which results in to less elastic, drier skin. In addition as women move toward the menopause the levels of estrogen decrease which also causes dryness. Dry skin may also be a result of very cold weather and for those of us with sensitive skin it can be irritated very easily by a number of ingredients in cosmetics and skin preparations as well as fragrances or rough fabrics.

Acne Treatments For Dry and Sensitive Skin

1. Cleansing Products

A skincare routine including very gentle cleaning with a very mild cleanser and moisturizing is necessary if you have sensitive or dry skin. Cleansers sold especially for those who suffer from acne aren’t very appropriate for these skin types. They have harsh ingredients for treating the acne but will more than likely result in irritation and redness for those with sensitive skin. You need to choose a gentler cleanser as an alternative that contains only very mild ingredients and won’t cause further irritation to your skin. Don’t wash your face too often and on no account scrub vigorously or use a rough cloth in an effort to remove the dirt that is believed to be a cause of acne. This will only cause more inflammation and distribute the bacteria that cause acne around your skin which will, without doubt, give rise to more breakouts. Cleansing two times a day is sufficient using a gentle soap. Use either your hands or a freshly boiled soft washcloth or if at all possible use throwaway cotton pads.

2. Moisturizing For Dry and Sensitive Skin

You should use a good quality moisturizer on dry skin but ensure you use one that is light and won’t result in an increase of oil which will worsen your acne. Heavy creams and lotions are unsuitable as they will clog up the pores and result in further irritation.

3. Acne Treatments For Dry and Sensitive Skin

Some of the chemicals often used in acne treatments include benzoyl peroxide, vitamin A derivatives and salicylic acids. For sensitive or dry skin use one with a low concentration to begin with to monitor how your skin reacts. If it doesn’t result in irritation and redness you can increase the concentration. be careful not to use all over your face but use a only a small quantity only where there are pimples and only apply once a day until your skin gets used to it. You could also consider using a natural cure for acne such as tea tree oil, either in an over the counter preparation containing tea tree oil, or by making a solution of pure tea tree oil diluted in water and using on problem areas. Tea tree oil has been shown to be very nearly as helpful as benzoyl peroxide but does not dry out the skin as much.

In Conclusion

Dry and sensitive skins do suffer from acne and require particular looking after so that you do not make your skin condition much worse while treating your acne. Always use acne remedies with as mild ingredients as possible and contemplate trying acne home remedies as a replacement for the harsher over the counter preparations available.